Summary
Montaigne argues that philosophy's greatest gift is teaching us how to die well, which paradoxically teaches us how to live well. He challenges the common approach of avoiding thoughts of death, showing how this avoidance creates perpetual anxiety since death can strike anyone at any moment—he catalogs dozens of unexpected deaths, from emperors killed by combs to his own brother felled by a tennis ball. Instead of denial, Montaigne advocates for regular meditation on mortality, comparing it to the Egyptian custom of displaying skeletons at feasts as reminders of life's fragility. He distinguishes between surface pleasures that distract us from death's reality and deeper satisfactions that come from accepting our mortality. When we truly internalize that death is inevitable and natural—part of the cosmic order where all things pass away—we gain freedom from smaller fears and anxieties. This acceptance doesn't make us morbid but liberated, allowing us to engage fully with life without the constant background terror of death. Montaigne shares his own practice of keeping death 'continually in his mouth,' noting how this habit has made him more present and decisive. He argues that nature itself prepares us for death through aging, gradually reducing our attachment to life's pleasures. The chapter concludes with an extended meditation where Nature herself speaks, explaining that death is simply returning to the state we were in before birth—nothing to fear because we experienced it for eternity without complaint.
Coming Up in Chapter 20
Having explored death's reality, Montaigne turns to examine how our minds can trick us in life. The next chapter investigates the surprising power of imagination to create physical effects—how our beliefs can literally reshape our bodies and experiences in ways that challenge everything we think we know about mind and matter.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
HAT TO STUDY PHILOSOPY IS TO LEARN TO DIE Cicero says--[Tusc., i. 31.]--“that to study philosophy is nothing but to prepare one’s self to die.” The reason of which is, because study and contemplation do in some sort withdraw from us our soul, and employ it separately from the body, which is a kind of apprenticeship and a resemblance of death; or, else, because all the wisdom and reasoning in the world do in the end conclude in this point, to teach us not to fear to die. And to say the truth, either our reason mocks us, or it ought to have no other aim but our contentment only, nor to endeavour anything but, in sum, to make us live well, and, as the Holy Scripture says, at our ease. All the opinions of the world agree in this, that pleasure is our end, though we make use of divers means to attain it: they would, otherwise, be rejected at the first motion; for who would give ear to him that should propose affliction and misery for his end? The controversies and disputes of the philosophical sects upon this point are merely verbal: “Transcurramus solertissimas nugas” [“Let us skip over those subtle trifles.”--Seneca, Ep., 117.] --there is more in them of opposition and obstinacy than is consistent with so sacred a profession; but whatsoever personage a man takes upon himself to perform, he ever mixes his own part with it. Let the philosophers say what they will, the thing at which we all aim, even in virtue is pleasure. It amuses me to rattle in ears this word, which they so nauseate to and if it signify some supreme pleasure and contentment, it is more due to the assistance of virtue than to any other assistance whatever. This pleasure, for being more gay, more sinewy, more robust and more manly, is only the more seriously voluptuous, and we ought give it the name of pleasure, as that which is more favourable, gentle, and natural, and not that from which we have denominated it. The other and meaner pleasure, if it could deserve this fair name, it ought to be by way of competition, and not of privilege. I find it less exempt from traverses and inconveniences than virtue itself; and, besides that the enjoyment is more momentary, fluid, and frail, it has its watchings, fasts, and labours, its sweat and its blood; and, moreover, has particular to itself so many several sorts of sharp and wounding passions, and so dull a satiety attending it, as equal it to the severest penance. And we mistake if we think that these incommodities serve it for a spur and a seasoning to its sweetness (as in nature one contrary is quickened by another), or say, when we come to virtue, that like consequences and difficulties overwhelm and render it austere and inaccessible; whereas, much more aptly than in voluptuousness, they ennoble, sharpen, and heighten the perfect and divine pleasure they procure us....
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Death Acceptance - How Facing Mortality Unlocks Life
The more we avoid contemplating mortality, the more death controls our choices through background fear and decision paralysis.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when fear of mortality is driving poor decisions and creating background anxiety.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you or others avoid making decisions by saying 'I need more time to think'—often this masks death anxiety that regular mortality acknowledgment can resolve.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Memento mori
A Latin phrase meaning 'remember you must die.' It refers to the practice of regularly contemplating mortality to gain perspective on life. Ancient Romans and medieval Christians used this as a spiritual discipline.
Modern Usage:
We see this in mindfulness practices that encourage accepting life's impermanence, or in how cancer survivors often say their diagnosis helped them focus on what really matters.
Stoic philosophy
An ancient Greek and Roman philosophy teaching that wisdom comes from accepting what we cannot control and focusing only on our responses. Stoics believed in living according to nature and reason.
Modern Usage:
Modern therapy techniques like CBT draw from Stoic ideas, and phrases like 'it is what it is' reflect Stoic acceptance of circumstances beyond our control.
Philosophical meditation
The practice of deeply thinking through life's big questions rather than just reading about them. Montaigne advocated for personal reflection on mortality, not just academic study.
Modern Usage:
This shows up in journaling practices, therapy sessions, or quiet reflection time where people work through their fears and priorities.
Natural death
Montaigne's concept that death is simply part of nature's cycle, no different from seasons changing or plants growing and dying. He argued against seeing death as punishment or tragedy.
Modern Usage:
We see this in hospice care philosophy and grief counseling that frames death as a natural transition rather than a failure of medicine or faith.
Preparatio mortis
The practice of preparing for death through mental exercises and lifestyle choices. This wasn't morbid but practical - like preparing for any major life event.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how people plan for retirement or write wills, but extended to emotional and spiritual preparation for life's end.
Fortune's wheel
The medieval concept that fate or luck constantly turns like a wheel, bringing people up and down unpredictably. Montaigne uses this to show how death can strike anyone at any moment.
Modern Usage:
We express this in phrases like 'what goes up must come down' or when discussing how quickly someone's circumstances can change.
Characters in This Chapter
Cicero
philosophical authority
Montaigne quotes the Roman philosopher's famous statement that studying philosophy is learning to die. Cicero represents the classical wisdom tradition that Montaigne both respects and questions.
Modern Equivalent:
The respected professor whose ideas everyone quotes but few really examine
Nature (personified)
wise teacher
Montaigne gives Nature a voice in an extended speech explaining why death shouldn't be feared. Nature argues that death is simply returning to our pre-birth state, which caused us no suffering.
Modern Equivalent:
The wise grandmother who puts life in perspective with simple, undeniable truths
Montaigne's brother
cautionary example
Dies suddenly after being struck by a tennis ball, illustrating Montaigne's point that death comes unexpectedly to the young and healthy. This personal loss drives home the essay's central message.
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who dies in a car accident, making everyone realize how fragile life really is
The Egyptian hosts
cultural example
Montaigne describes how Egyptians displayed skeletons at feasts to remind guests of mortality. They represent a healthy cultural approach to death awareness.
Modern Equivalent:
The family that talks openly about end-of-life wishes instead of avoiding the subject
Key Quotes & Analysis
"To study philosophy is nothing but to prepare one's self to die."
Context: Opening the essay with this classical wisdom
This sets up Montaigne's central argument that philosophy's real purpose isn't abstract thinking but practical preparation for life's inevitable end. It challenges readers to see death preparation as wisdom, not morbidity.
In Today's Words:
Real wisdom is about getting comfortable with the fact that you're going to die.
"Let us prepare against death; let us learn to die."
Context: After cataloging unexpected deaths of famous people
Montaigne advocates for active preparation rather than avoidance. He's not being grim but practical - arguing that accepting mortality frees us from constant anxiety about it.
In Today's Words:
Stop pretending you'll live forever and start dealing with the reality that you won't.
"Death is the cure of all evils."
Context: Discussing how death ends all suffering and fear
This provocative statement reframes death from ultimate evil to ultimate relief. Montaigne suggests that our fear of death is worse than death itself, which simply ends all problems.
In Today's Words:
When you're dead, nothing can hurt you anymore.
"Your death is a part of the order of the universe; it is a part of the life of the world."
Context: Nature explaining why humans shouldn't fear death
This quote presents death as natural integration rather than violent separation. Montaigne argues that seeing ourselves as part of a larger cosmic cycle reduces the ego's terror of extinction.
In Today's Words:
You dying is as natural as leaves falling - it's just how the world works.
Thematic Threads
Mortality
In This Chapter
Montaigne advocates regular meditation on death as liberation from smaller fears
Development
Introduced here as central philosophical practice
In Your Life:
You might avoid difficult conversations because thinking about limited time feels too scary.
Fear
In This Chapter
Fear of death underlies most other anxieties and poor decisions
Development
Introduced here as root cause of life avoidance
In Your Life:
You might stay in unfulfilling situations because change feels like a kind of death.
Nature
In This Chapter
Death is presented as natural process, not punishment or failure
Development
Introduced here as cosmic perspective
In Your Life:
You might fight aging instead of accepting it as natural preparation for life's next phase.
Wisdom
In This Chapter
True wisdom comes from accepting rather than fighting life's fundamental conditions
Development
Introduced here through death acceptance
In Your Life:
You might mistake denial for strength when acceptance would give you more power.
Freedom
In This Chapter
Liberation comes from facing rather than avoiding life's hardest truths
Development
Introduced here as result of mortality meditation
In Your Life:
You might find that acknowledging your limitations actually expands your choices.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Montaigne says most people avoid thinking about death, but this avoidance actually makes them more anxious. What examples does he give of unexpected deaths, and why does he think these stories are important?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Montaigne believe that regularly thinking about death actually makes us better at living? How does this work psychologically?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see death-avoidance paralysis in modern life? Think about healthcare, career decisions, relationships, or financial planning - how does refusing to acknowledge mortality affect people's choices?
application • medium - 4
Montaigne suggests asking yourself 'If I had six months, what would I prioritize?' as a way to cut through daily anxieties. How would you use this mental exercise to make a difficult decision you're currently facing?
application • deep - 5
Montaigne argues that accepting death as natural and inevitable actually liberates us from smaller fears. What does this reveal about how humans handle uncertainty and control in general?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Practice the Six-Month Question
Choose one area of your life where you feel stuck or anxious - a relationship, job situation, health habit, or major decision. Write down what you would prioritize if you knew you had exactly six months to live. Then compare this to how you're actually spending your time and energy right now. What gaps do you notice?
Consider:
- •Focus on what would genuinely matter most, not what you think you should say
- •Notice which current worries would disappear entirely with this perspective
- •Consider what you're avoiding because it feels uncomfortable or risky
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when a brush with mortality - your own illness, losing someone close, or witnessing tragedy - changed your priorities. How long did that clarity last, and what pulled you back into old patterns?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 20: The Power of Imagination
Having explored death's reality, Montaigne turns to examine how our minds can trick us in life. The next chapter investigates the surprising power of imagination to create physical effects—how our beliefs can literally reshape our bodies and experiences in ways that challenge everything we think we know about mind and matter.
